updated 10:57 pm EST, Mon January 6, 2014

Intel CEO Brian Krzanich today outlined a range of products, initiatives and strategic relationships aimed at accelerating innovation across a range of mobile and wearable devices, as well as individual inventors' own connected creations. To champion this effort, Krzanich spoke of alliances with clothiers, a new SD card-sized computer called "Intel Edison," and a "Make it Wearable" contest, offering the winner $500,000 for future development of a proposed project.

Krzanich's keynote painted a vision of how the landscape of computing is being re-shaped, and where security is too important not to have it embedded in all devices. Krzanich said Intel is actively pursuing a range of products and initiatives, with the goal of accelerating wearable device innovation. Intel's approach to this next evolution in computing is to imagine and create reference design devices and platforms ready for use by customers in developing wearable products, he said.

The Intel CEO also announced collaborations with clothing outfitters Barneys New York, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and Open Ceremony to explore and bring to market new smart wearable technologies, and to increase dialogue and cooperation between the fashion and technology industries. He also kicked-off the Intel 'Make it Wearable' challenge, a global effort aimed at accelerating creativity and innovation with technology.

In addition, Krzanich announced Intel Edison -- a new Intel Quark technology-based computer housed in an SD card form factor with built-in wireless capabilities and support for multiple operating systems. The Intel Edison, while still in prototype form, is intended to assist with the wearable technology process when available this summer.